Method And Device For Verifying One Or More Safety Volumes For A Movable Mechanical Unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016207198-A1
Application number	US-201314914695-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 7, 2013
Priority date	Oct 7, 2013
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and a device for verifying one or more safety volumes for a movable mechanical unit positioned in an environment, wherein a world-coordinate system is defined in relation to the mechanical unit and in relation to the environment of the mechanical unit. The method includes storing a description of one or more safety volumes defined in relation to the world-coordinate system, and repeatedly determining position and orientation of a portable display unit in relation to the world-coordinate system, determining a graphical representation of the safety volumes based on the description of the safety volumes and the position and orientation of the portable display unit, overlaying the graphical representation of the safety volumes on a view of the real mechanical unit and its environment to provide a composited augmented reality image, and displaying the augmented reality image on the portable display unit.

First claim

1 . A method for verifying one or more safety volumes for a movable mechanical unit with respect to an environment of the mechanical unit, wherein a world-coordinate system is defined in relation to the mechanical unit and in relation to the environment of the mechanical unit, characterized in that the method comprises:
storing a description of one or more safety volumes defined in relation to the world-coordinate system, and repeatedly: determining position and orientation of a portable display unit in relation to the world-coordinate system, determining a graphical representation of the safety volumes based on the description of the safety volumes and the position and orientation of the portable display unit, overlaying the graphical representation of the safety volumes on a view of the real environment of the mechanical unit to provide a composited augmented reality image, and displaying the augmented reality image on the portable display unit.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said safety volumes is a fixed safety volume having a fixed position in relation to the world-coordinate system.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises verifying the fixed safety volume based on the displayed augmented reality image and modifying the fixed safety volume upon detecting an incorrect safety volume.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method comprises detecting user interactions with the graphical representation of the fixed safety volume, and modifying the description of the fixed safety volume based on said detected user interactions.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said safety volumes is a moving safety volume having a size and position that depends on the velocity and position of a critical part of the mechanical unit, and the method comprises repeatedly:
obtaining position and velocity of the critical part of the mechanical unit, determining the moving safety volume for the critical part of the mechanical unit based on the position and velocity of the critical part, and storing a description of the moving safety volume defined in relation to the world-coordinate system.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the method comprises:
simulating a programmed movement path for the mechanical unit, determining position and velocity of the critical part along the movement path based on the simulation, and determining said moving safety volume based on the determined position and velocity of the critical part.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the method comprises:
calculating a safety distance for said critical part based on the velocity and load of the critical part, and determining said moving safety volume based on the calculated safety distance.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said safety volumes is a fixed safety volume and at least one of said safety volumes is a moving safety volume, and the method comprises repeatedly:
determining a graphical representation of each of the fixed safety volume and the moving safety volume based on the descriptions of the safety volumes and the position and orientation of the portable display unit, overlaying the graphical representations of the fixed safety volume and the moving safety volume on said real view of the environment to provide a composited augmented reality image, and displaying the augmented reality image on the portable display unit.

9 . A device for verifying one or more safety volumes for at least one movable mechanical unit positioned in an environment, wherein a world coordinate system is defined in relation to the mechanical unit and in relation to the environment of the mechanical unit, characterized in that the device comprises:
a storage unit for storing descriptions of the safety volumes. a portable display unit, a position detector configured to continuously determine position and orientation of the portable display unit in relation to the world coordinate system, a graphical unit configured to determine graphical representations of the safety volumes based on the stored descriptions of the safety volumes and the position and orientation of the portable display unit, and an augmented reality unit configured to overlay the graphical representations of the safety volumes on a view of the real environment of mechanical unit to provide a composited augmented reality image, and to display the augmented reality image on the portable display unit.

10 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein the device comprises a description generator configured to obtain positions and velocities of a critical part of the mechanical unit, to determine moving safety volumes for the critical part of the mechanical unit based on the positions and velocities of the critical part, and to store a description of the moving safety volume defined in relation to the world coordinate system in said storage unit.

11 . The device according to claim 10 , wherein the device comprises a simulation unit configured to simulate a programmed movement path for the mechanical unit, and to determine the position and velocity of the critical part during execution of the movement path based on the simulation, and said description generator is configured to obtain the position and velocity of the critical part from the simulation unit and to determine said moving safety volume based on the obtained position and velocity.

12 . The device according to claim 10 , wherein said storage unit is configured to store descriptions of fixed safety volumes having fixed position in relation to the world coordinate system, said graphical unit is configured to determine graphical representations of the fixed safety volumes and the moving safety volumes based on the descriptions of the safety volumes and the position and orientation of the portable display unit, and the augmented reality unit is configured to overlay the graphical representations of the fixed and moving safety volumes on the view of the real mechanical unit and its environment to provide a composited augmented reality image.

13 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein said storage unit is configured to store descriptions of fixed safety volumes having fixed position in relation to the world coordinate system, and the device comprises an interaction unit configured to detect user interactions with the graphical representations of the fixed safety volumes, and a modification unit configured to modify the stored description of the fixed safety volumes based on the detected user interactions.

14 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein the device comprises a camera configured to capture an image of the mechanical unit and its environment, and the augmented reality unit is configured to register the graphical representations of the safety volumes on the image of the real mechanical unit and its environment to provide a composited augmented reality image.

15 . Use of the device according to claim 9 for verification of safety volumes for an industrial robot.

16 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method comprises verifying the fixed safety volume based on the displayed augmented reality image and modifying the fixed safety volume upon detecting an incorrect safety volume.

17 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the method comprises detecting user interactions with the graphical representation of the fixed safety volume, and modifying the description of the fixed safety volume based on said detected user interactions.

Assignees

• Abb Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Willför Per
• Kulläng Roger
• Mellander Roger

Classifications

• B25J9/1676 Primary

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• Y10S901/14

  Arm movement, spatial · CPC title

• G05B19/4061

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title